A Long Time Coming
by Kharma
Summary: CSI-Miami: HC. Horatio and Calleigh have a disagreement


Title: A Long Time Coming  
  
Rating: PG-13?  
  
Summary: Calleigh and Horatio have a disagreement.  
  
Spoilers: Brief mention of Ray's death, but that's about all.  
  
Warning: Fluff, the whole fluff and nothing but the fluff.  
  
Archive: Lonely Road and ff.net only. Anyone else wants it (although God knows why you would), please ask.  
  
Notes: I know it's been a while since I posted anything, but I've been suffering from a major case of writer's block and I only wrote this as a way to try and work through it.  
  
It hasn't been beta'ed so any mistakes in it are all mine.  
  
Reviews are always appreciated.  
  
"What the hell does it have to do with you what my relationship with John Hagen is?" Calleigh demanded of Lieutenant Horatio Caine.  
  
He sighed and looked down for a moment to collect his thoughts. "It doesn't have anything to do with me, Calleigh," he said quietly. "I just don't want you to get hurt."  
  
"You think John would hurt me?" she asked incredulously. "He would never lay a hand on me!"  
  
"I didn't think for one second that he would, I just think you should be careful. I never trusted him when he was Ray's partner and I don't trust him now."  
  
"So that's it," Calleigh breathed. "This has nothing to do with me and everything to do with your brother." She advanced on him and started poking him in the chest, making him back away from her until he came to rest against the counter that ran the length of the break room. "You listen to me, Horatio. You are my Lieutenant, not my keeper and I will date whomever the hell I damn well want to date! If you don't like it that's just too bad. Now," she said as she turned to leave the room. "If you will excuse me, I have work to do."  
  
"Calleigh," Horatio said softly, making her stop.  
  
"What?" she asked without turning around to look him.  
  
"Please don't go to dinner with Hagen."  
  
Calleigh turned and looked at him. "Why not?" she asked. "And don't give me that crap about it being to do with Ray because this has nothing to do with him and you know it. For once, just tell me the honest truth."  
  
Horatio looked at her for a moment without saying anything and Calleigh almost smiled when she saw his hand move in the direction of his jacket pocket were she knew he kept his sunglasses. "If you even think about hiding behind those glasses, I won't be held responsible for my actions," she warned quietly.  
  
Horatio promptly changed his mind about reaching for his glasses and shrugged. "What do you want me to say, Cal?" he asked.  
  
She walked slowly towards him and stopped a few feet away. "I want to know the truth, Horatio."  
  
He stepped away from her distracting presence and paced the room like a caged tiger. Calleigh took a moment to admire the pure grace that was inherent in every move he made before looking up at his face. "Okay, the truth," he said with a nod as he stopped his pacing in front of her. "I don't want you to have dinner with Hagen for personal reasons."  
  
Calleigh folded her arms and shook her head. "Not good enough," she said with a smile, displaying her own particular brand of stubbornness and Southern charm that sometimes drove him crazy but mostly made him want to take her home with him and never let her leave.  
  
"Damn!" he said with a self-deprecating laugh. "I thought that was bound to get me out of it."  
  
Calleigh laughed, glad that they had got through the yelling and were now almost back to their usual almost constant teasing. "Sorry," she said with a shake of her head and then suddenly became totally serious. "I want nothing more than the truth from you, or I'm going to walk out that door and you'll have my resignation on your desk tomorrow morning." She prayed that her little bluff wasn't about to blow up in her face and that he would relent and finally give in.  
  
Horatio looked shocked for a moment. "You don't mean that!" he breathed and scowled when Calleigh remained firm. "Okay," he said, suddenly feeling furious with her. "You want to know why I don't want you going out with John Hagen? I love you! Is that what you wanted to hear? I've loved you for as long as I've known you. God, Calleigh, how could I not love you? You're a ray of shining light in the darkness that we deal in every day and I wouldn't have been able to keep going after Ray's death without knowing that I would see you every day."  
  
He finally wound down from his little tirade and looked at Calleigh. "Have you finished?" she asked seriously and he nodded. "Good!" Calleigh said and smiled making him feel unaccountable nervous. She walked slowly towards him and stopped when only a few inches separated them. Leaning up slight she looped her arms around his neck and lightly kissed his jaw. Calleigh giggled when she felt him shudder. "What took you so long, Handsome?" she whispered in his ear and never got to say anything for quiet a while after that because Horatio had pulled her against him and was kissing her as though he never intended to stop.  
  
When they finally broke apart for some much needed oxygen, Calleigh giggled. "What?" Horatio asked as he gently traced the contours of her face with his fingertips, stopping to run one finger lightly over her kiss- swollen lips, earning him a nip and repentant kiss on the tip of his finger.  
  
"I was just thinking about what Alexx would say if she could see us right now."  
  
Horatio grinned and Calleigh found herself having difficulty breathing. "She'd probably tell us to get a room and then say it's about damn time," he said with a laugh.  
  
Calleigh smiled and slid her hands down his chest and around his waist, revelling in the feel of his silk shirt under the sensitive skin of her palms. "What did take us so long?" she asked.  
  
Horatio didn't answer right away. "It doesn't matter, Calleigh," he said after a few seconds. "We've found each other now."  
  
She hugged him. "Promise not to lose me?" she asked quietly.  
  
Horatio bent down until his mouth was mere centimetres from hers. "I promise," he whispered as he once more covered her lips with his own.  
  
The End. 


End file.
